Showing posts with label cooking with kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking with kids. Show all posts

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Meals in 20 minutes or less: Wraps

If there is one thing I have learned from being in Grad School this semester, it is that TIME  is at a premium, and spending more than half an hour on making dinner just isn't worth it.  So if you're interested in FRESH and FAST, wraps are a good way to go. Not to mention they are a perfect summer food. 

Here are a few of my favs.  I made these recipes myself, and though we really like the way they taste, I won't be offended if you tweak to taste :)!

 (Sorry about the funny formatting... who has time to make the formatting perfect anyway?)


{Spring Rolls (salad style)}
          Ingredients        
       Rice Paper (8 " - purchase at local asian market)
       Rice Noodles
       Romaine Lettuce
       Chopped tomatoes
       Cubed grilled chicken
       Chopped green onions
       Chopped celery
       Grated carrots
       Oyster Sauce and/or Sweet'n'Sour Sauce and/or Spicy Chinese Dragon Sauce
Directions
Prepare rice noodles according to package.  Dip rice paper in warm water for 5 seconds to soften.  Place on a flat plate.  Place small amount of rice noodles, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, celery, carrots and oyster sauce in the center of the softened rice paper.  Fold the rice paper over the filling creating a half circle.  Fold over the sides on top of the filing.  Finish the wrap by taking the remaining rounded edge and folding over on top.  Enjoy.


{Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps}

  Ingredients
  •  Large Romaine lettuce leaves
  •  Maifun rice sticks
  •  1 cup Grilled cubed chicken
  •   2 Chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  •  1 can Black beans
  •  ½ cup Frozen corn kernels (warmed)
  •  ½ cup Chopped red onions
  •  1/3 cup Greek Yogurt
  •  ½ tsp Garlic salt
  •  ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes (or more)
  •   2 tbs Orange zest
  •   half an orange fresh squeezed Orange juice
   Directions
Prepare crunchy rice by deep-frying it in a small amount of hot oil.  Set aside.  Make the sauce by combining greek yogurt with orange zest, orange juice, red pepper flakes and garlic salt.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans and onions and mix with yogurt mixture. 
To assemble the wraps, take a large romaine lettuce leaf and place a small amount of fried rice sticks in the center.  Place a 1/3 cup chicken mixture on top.  Wrap the lettuce around the filling and eat.  

{Tortilla Wraps}
   Ingredients
  •   Flour tortillas
  •  Grilled cubed chicken
  •  Chopped Romaine lettuce
  •  2 Chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Chopped red onion
  • 1 Chopped red bell pepper
  •  2 Avocados
  •  2 Tbs Lime juice
  •  ½ tsp Garlic salt
  • 1 Tbs dried Cilantro
  • ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbs Greek yogurt
Directions  
Combine avocados with greek yogurt and spices.  Mix until smooth.  Assemble the tortilla wraps by placing small amount of chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and peppers in the center.  Top with avocado mixture.  Wrap tortilla and enjoy.  

 

Thursday, 4 October 2012

School Lunch - Made Easy

It's October and school is in full swing.  Getting bored of making school lunches yet?  My friend Ashlee submitted this awesome link about making school lunches more fun and more convenient:


I love it!  Even though I don't have school-aged kids yet, I still use this cheat sheet from time to time.  I included the list here...

lunch box cheat sheet

Tips

  • Place a frozen juice box in your kids’ lunchbox. – it’ll keep the food chilled and will be thawed by lunchtime.
  • Go for variety. Make sandwiches using whole grain tortillas, bagels or pitas.
  • Pack antibacterial wet wipes so your kids can clean their hands before and after eating.
  • Add grated veggies to sandwiches and wraps for crunch – your kids won’t notice they’re eating something that’s good for them!
  • Use small resealable bags to pack dressings. Kids can open one corner and simply squeeze onto salad, then discard.
  • Get dipping! Pack salsa, hummus, yogurt or salad dressing for your little ones to dunk their sandwich, veggies or fruit into.
  • Make bite-sized and mini versions of regular foods like sandwiches. They work well for small appetites and are more likely to be eaten.
  • Add a quick note to say good luck on a test or “I love you” – it will brighten your child’s day.



















This is a great list.  Looking back, now I know why mom my mom used to put a frozen juice box and ranch dressing in my lunch.  I loved how my drink turned into a slushy, and dipping my carrots in ranch dressing made me feel pretty cool.

Did you know that kids LIKE hummus?  It's so healthy!  I can get my toddler to eat so many vegetables as longs as I have hummus around (and if we run out of veggies, we eat the hummus with a spoon).  My favorite hummus recipe is this:


Easy Blender Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans (save liquid)
1 clove garlic
2 tsp cumin
1-2 Tbs peanut butter
splash of lemon juice (optional)

Put all ingredients in a blender and turn it on low.  While blending, slowly add saved liquid into the blender until you reach the desired consistency (I use about 2/3 of the liquid).  Serve with bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, pita chips, cauliflower etc.  


Speaking from personal experience, I love the convenience of disposable resealable bags.  For $2, you can get 100 tidy sandwich bags that can be used for so many things!  I like to put partially used food items (like onions, bananas, avocados etc) in the bags and stick them in the fridge.  Then I re-use the bag if it's still good later.  I'm all about cheap convenience.

Another tip I recently started using (and I'm probably the last mom in the world to try this one) is frozen Go-Gurt.  It turns into a delicious push-up popsicle!  Yeah, it's not the most healthy snack, but it's a perfect treat for a toddler who doesn't know the difference between ice cream and frozen yogurt :)

Be sure to browse the rest of the kraft.com website!  There are lots of ideas about healthy and easy lunch ideas.  Another little gem is this page:


Some days you just want your kids out of the kitchen.  But other times it can be enriching to let your kids "help out" a little bit.  And I bet that your kids will remember those special moments when you let them have the extra freedom, even if it means a bit more work for you.  In fact, here is a list of easy recipes your kids will enjoy making and eating:


One last tip.  We recently had to clear out one of our cabinets for a new dishwasher.  Well, the dishwasher didn't happen as punctually as we thought it would, so the empty cabinet naturally became a secret hideout for my 2-year-old.  And it's hilarious.  And it's convenient.  So when I need some space, I can send her to the secret hideout with a little snack and her favorite toy.  Works almost every time.  It has been so fun that I'm almost sad to install the dishwasher.  (Almost.  After all, it's a DISHWASHER.)  I think I'll just empty out a different cabinet so we don't lose the secret hideout when the dishwasher comes in next week :)

What are your favorite lunch time tricks?